This is an audio version of the previously published blog on this topic:Forget the old ways of measuring safety culture maturity. There
is a new, more effective way to measure cultural maturity and it starts
with looking at the chemistry.Just
as a growing plant needs the right elements in the soil for maximum
growth, a safety culture needs the right elements in the organization to
maximize its true potential for excellence. Safety culture is much ...
This is an audio version of the previously published blog on this topic:
Forget the old ways of measuring safety culture maturity. There
is a new, more effective way to measure cultural maturity and it starts
with looking at the chemistry.
Just
as a growing plant needs the right elements in the soil for maximum
growth, a safety culture needs the right elements in the organization to
maximize its true potential for excellence. Safety culture is much
more organic than most of the models recognize and the formation of a
safety culture is more akin to growing a plant than to drawing an
organizational chart. If you plant the right seeds of capability and
control the climate and chemistry, you will grow a safety culture toward
excellence. Once it is growing, you can shape it and further adjust
the climate and chemistry to maximize its potential.
– An excerpt from STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence (2013, Mathis and Galloway)In
consulting globally with many of the best in safety performance and
culture, nine elements (see the picture with this post) have been
identified as most important foci to establish the chemistry which
facilitates the necessary climate for a culture of safety excellence to
grow. Through consulting engagements and workshops, these nine elements
have been successfully leveraged and measured to help organizations
identify both their starting point baseline, and also to strategically
prioritize which elements to focus on to advance the capabilities of
their safety culture.
A
simple exercise to facilitate answering these questions is to lead a
group discussion on these nine elements to measure your current cultural
maturity around safety. Putting this into practice, every workshop has
resulted in very insightful conversations that identify the precise
actions that need to be taken to enhance the existing culture of safety.
To lead this discussion, a conversation framework is needed, thus the
purpose of this article.
If you have read my work, participated
in any of my workshops or keynote presentations or worked with me
directly, you will know I work hard to always provide more take-away
tools than motivational fluff. If I was able to provide the framework to
facilitate the internal dialogue in article format, I would.
To
assist you on your journey to safety excellence, I would like to share
this tool with you. To obtain a copy for your internal use, send an
email to info@proactsafety.com with the subject of
Please Send Chemistry of SCE and our staff will respond at our earliest opportunity.
Cultures
will always influence the beliefs and behaviors of employees and
contractors as they join the group. You can either manage the chemistry,
climate and culture, or the results in any area of operational
performance will be managed by them. I invite you to start the
conversation to strategically enhance the safety aspect of your company
culture and measure your progress by contributed value, not just the
lowering of injury rates.
-------------------
Shawn M.
Galloway is the President and COO of ProAct Safety. He writes (and
tweets:@safetyculture) about his work helping organizations in all
industries to achieve and sustain excellence in their culture and
performance. He resides near Houston, Texas with his wife and three
children.
